A Daughter Lost
by deanadamsgirl
Summary: Ben agrees to care for the daughter of a dead friend.


ONE

"Push, Mrs. Cartwright!" The midwife coached. "Come on!"

Marie Cartwright screwed up her face as another contraction ripped through her body. She dropped back on the pillow with a sigh. "If this isn't a boy..." she gasped. "She's a very stubborn girl."

Sarah Newman, the midwife smiled. "You'll be fine." She assured the young wife of Ben Cartwright. "Just be glad you get to go through this."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sarah." Marie Cartwright said softly. "I forgot that your husband just died."

"It's all right." The midwife tried to smile. "Tom and me had been tryin' to conceive for years. You're a very lucky woman."

Marie smiled then sat up as her child again attempted to push his way out. She breathed deeply and fell back on the pillow again.

"I wish the doctor was here." Sarah murmured.

"I trust you, Sarah." Marie Cartwright smiled up at her.

"I'm glad you do. Now hold on, Mrs. Cartwright. You're almost done. You're almost there."

TWO

Ben Cartwright sat anxiously in his favorite easy chair. Earlier he had heard a little scream and that scared him. Adam and Hoss sat on the sofa listening. When they heard Marie screamed Hoss jumped up "She's killing, Mama." He gasped.

Adam seemed not to worry. "No she isn't." He responded. He would not be that lucky! "All women scream like that when they have a baby."

"How do ya know?" Hoss demanded.

"Mama screamed like that when she had you." Adam replied.

"Oh!" And Hoss was quiet for a moment.

Ben stood up and started pacing the room. "I'm going up there." He finally announced heading toward the stairs.

"Mrs. Newman told us not to come in." Adam put his feet up on the coffee table.

"I don't care." Ben answered turning to face his son. "She's my wife and that's my child." Then he looked at Adam. "Adam, that is a coffee table." He said quickly. "Get your feet off of it!" This last command startled Adam and he dropped his feet quickly to the floor.

"What do you reckon Mama will have?" Hoss asked secretly hoping it was a dog.

"I want a sister." Adam responded. "I'd like to see her wearing pretty dresses. I'd like to take her into church with me and show her off."

"A girl would not be a bad thing to have around the house after you two." Ben admitted.

"Pa, what would you call it if it's a gal?" Hoss asked.

"Well," Ben answered. "I had a friend when I was growing up. She was a very pretty girl and her name was Jennifer. I would probably call her Jennifer Marie."

"What if it's a boy?" Adam was curious.

"Joe." Ben answered. "We would call him Joe."

THREE

"How long does this take?" Marie Cartwright gasped. "I feel like it's been hours."

"Two hours, Mrs. Cartwright." Sarah Newman continued with her sewing. "Sometimes it takes a whole day."

Marie nodded. She remembered that from when she had her first born, Clay. Still every moment was like a new experience for her. But she thought past the pain for the child she was about to give Ben. Secretly she was praying for a daughter but she knew that a man like Ben deserved fine handsome sons and she was determined to do her part.

"Can I see Ben?" she asked after a moment.

"I'm sorry." Sarah answered. "You really should not."

"It's his child, too." Marie pleaded.

"The room is just too small." Sarah replied. "But when the baby is born I'll let him in."

Marie smiled. She wished that her husband could be with her at the blessed moment of birth. But, despite Sarah Newman's young age, she had delivered many children. She would know best of course, so Marie sighed and continued with her labor of love.

FOUR

"WAAAA!" the sound startled Ben fast asleep in his chair. He jumped to his feet and ran for the stairs. Marie had her baby! He met Adam coming out of his room curiously interested in what the baby would be. Together father and son headed toward the "little room" but they were stopped when Sarah came out carrying a small bundle in her arms.

"Mr. Cartwright." She said softly, handing him the child. "You have a son."

"A son." Ben took the child and cradled him gently. He was sound asleep but Ben was sure that he would look like his mother. Ben smiled at the child tenderly, then up at Sarah. "Marie?" he asked.

Sarah smiled. "Marie is all right, Ben." She assured him. "Just very tired. She's asleep now but you can see her as soon as she wakes up." She walked back into the room and paused, her hand on the door. "Dr. Martin will fill out a birth certificate for you." She looked back. "I have to go now. I don't feel very well."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sarah." Ben looked concerned. "Can I do something for you?"

She shook her head. "No thank you, Ben." She smiled. "Just take care of Marie and the baby."

"Don't worry about that." He smiled. "Joe is a welcome addition to our family."

She turned to go then stopped. "Joe." She whispered. "Ben, if you had a daughter what would you name her?"

"That's an unusual question since I just had a son." He looked at her.

"But if Joe had been a girl what would you call her?" Sarah pressed.

"Jennifer Marie." Ben replied. "Why?"

"Jennifer Marie." She smiled. "That is a very beautiful name. Well, good night, Ben, Adam. I'm going to get my basket and then I'll leave you alone with the new mother and baby. Congratulations to all of you." And then she disappeared into the room.

FIVE

"I just stopped by to thank you for all your kindness, Ben." Sarah smiled at him and Marie from the wagon. "Especially for buying the old house and land."

"I was glad to." Ben replied one arm around his wife, the other holding his infant son. "But what do you plan to do now, Sarah?"

She smiled at the bundle she cradled in her arms. "Before Tom and me moved out here we had a little farm back East. I'm movin' back there. The West is a wonderful place but well... it's no place for a single woman tryin' to raise her daughter."

Marie Cartwright looked at the child. "You were very lucky to have Charissa, Sarah. I'm so sorry that Tom never met her."

"I just hope I'm doin' the right thing." Sarah's brow furrowed. "I hope I'm doin' what Tom would have wanted."

Ben smiled at her reassuringly. "Of course you are." He assured her. "Tom would have wanted it this way."

She nodded. I suppose you're right. Thank you again, Ben, and you, too Marie. Good-bye."

"Not good-bye, mon amie." Marie smiled at her. "Farewell, till we meet again."

Sarah blinked back a tear. "Farewell, then. All right, Adam, I'm ready. Thank you for taking me into town."

"Don't forget to write." Ben called as the carriage pulled away from the house.

"I won't." She waved. "Thank you. Farewell."

"Farewell." Ben and Marie waved until she was out of sight. "Good luck."

SIX

Seventeen Years Later:

"Did you get the mail, Joe?" Ben asked looking up from his desk as his youngest son entered the front door.

"Yes, sir." Joe replied. "And we're gettin' pretty popular with people back East. Five letters and three of them are from the East."

"Anything for me?" Adam asked walking silently down the stairs.

"Yep. One for you older brother." Joe teased. "Guess who it's from."

"Not today." Adam grabbed the letter from his brother and looked at the envelope. It was from John Andrews a friend of Adam's from college and an engineer in Massachusetts.

"Here, Pa, these two are for you." Joe handed his father the rest of the letters and perched himself on the coffee table munching on an apple.

Ben placed three of the letters on the table and opened the top one. Just Ponderosa business as usual. The second one was an invitation to the church picnic and Ben made a note to respond to that. The third was from the East and it had sad news. Ben read it quickly and then exclaimed "Oh, dear."

"What's wrong, Pa?" Adam asked looking up from his letter.

"Remember Sarah Newman, Adam?" Ben asked.

Adam furrowed his brow in thought. "The name sounds familiar." He admitted.

"She was here when Joe was born." Ben prompted.

"That's right." Adam snapped his fingers. "You bought her land when she moved back East. How is she?"

"She's dead."

"Oh, that's too bad." Adam walked toward his father. "If I remember right she had a daughter a little younger than Joe."

Ben nodded. "That's right."

"Poor kid." Adam shook his head. "Wonder what'll happen to her."

Ben was about to answer when Little Joe interrupted him. "Who's the letter from, Pa?"

"Sarah," Ben replied. "She wrote it on her deathbed. Listen...

'Dear Ben,

'I do hope that all is well with you and your family, especially Little Joe who you wrote about in your last letter. By the time you receive this letter I will be dead so do not respond to it. I wanted to thank you one last time for everything you did for me.

'As you know Charissa and I have been doing all right. Tom's mother lived with us for awhile but she recently died and we've been all alone. That's why I'm writin' to you. Charissa is a wonderful girl, Ben, but soon she will have no one. I'm prayin' that you will take her in and treat her as your daughter. She has no one else.

'Please, Ben, please take care of her.

'Your friend forever,

'Sarah Newman.'"

Ben looked up at Adam. "I can't take care of a girl!" he exclaimed. "I've still got sons to raise!"

Adam looked at his father. "She asked you to, didn't she?"

"Well, yes..." Ben started pacing the room.

"And she did us a favor." Adam continued. "If she hadn't been here when Joe was born Mama would have been alone. Who knows what might have happened. Joe might have died."

Ben looked over at his youngest son. "As much trouble as Joe caused him he could not imagine life without the youth. "But..."

"Why don't you open the other letter?" Joe suggested. He hated being told he might not have been alive.

Ben nodded and tore open the other letter. His eyes traveled over the sheet and then he looked up. "It's from a lawyer back East. He said Sarah left a will leaving me in charge of her daughter. He put her on a stage and said she will be here the 20th."

"Good gosh!" Adam exclaimed. "Today is the 20th!"

"Joe, was the stage in when you left?" Ben threw the letters on his desk.

Joe shook his head. "No."

"Come on, then!" Ben called to his sons grabbing his hat and running out the door.

Adam looked at Joe shrugged and followed their father out the door.

SEVEN

"How will you know who she is, Pa?" Joe asked when they stopped the wagon in front of the telegraph office.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Ben replied. "Maybe she'll be the only girl on the stage." He added hopefully.

"I hope it hasn't come in yet.' Adam voiced his concern jumping of his horse. "Want me to go see, Pa?"

"Yes, please, Adam." Ben replied looking down the street to see if the stage had arrived.

He saw Adam talking to Frank the man who ran the stage lines, saw Frank shake his head and Adam returned to his father. "Stage is late." He announced.

"A good thing, too." Ben agreed. "Well, we'll just have to wait."

"I wonder what she'll look like." Joe mused.

"If I remember correctly." Adam replied. "Sarah Newman and her husband Tom both had brown hair and brown eyes. I guess she'll look like them."

Ben smiled. "Sarah was a pretty woman. I wonder if Charissa will look like her."

"She'll probably be awfully stuck up." Joe scoffed. "Living in the East and all."

"I wonder if she ever read Shakespeare." Adam whispered.

"We'll know in just a few minutes, boys." Ben replied. "Here comes the stage!"

The driver pulled the stage to a halt and the Cartwright men walked over to it. Adam opened the door. There were four occupants inside. Three were beautiful young women. The fourth was an older gentleman. The man walked off alone toward the saloon leaving the three girls standing alone. Ben sighed and was about to approach one a pretty brunette when she picked up her bag and headed toward the hotel. Two girls remained. Adam and Joe looked at their father. "Toss you." Joe smiled at Adam. "The blonde or the brunette?"

"The brunette." Adam responded. "Pa, you want to do the honors?"

Ben looked at the girl. She was wearing a black traveling dress and looked out of place on a Western street. Her back was to him but he sensed a sort of majesty of carriage. "Well..." then he walked over to her.

"Excuse me, Miss." Ben asked approaching the girl. "Are you Charissa Newman?"

She turned to face him. "Yes, I'm Charissa."

Ben got a good look at her, then. She was about average height with unruly brown hair that she tried to pull back. One little curl, however, tumbled into her face just above her fetching green eyes. Eyes that to Ben Cartwright looked oddly familiar. Her cheeks were rosy red but not made up. She smiled at him and even the smile seemed strangely familiar. Somewhere, someplace, on someone else, Ben had seen that smile before.

"I'm Ben Cartwright." He introduced himself. "And these are my sons Adam and Little Joe." as his sons approached their father and the girl.

"Ben Cartwright." She murmured. "Yes, Mother spoke often of you and your sons. She told me that you..." her eyes filled with tears. "You would help me."

Ben nodded. "Our wagon is over here, Miss Charissa."

She smiled at him as Adam and Joe picked up her bags. "My friends all call me Cherry." She said softly.

"I hope I can be counted among your friends, Miss Cherry." Joe caught up with her.

She looked over at him. "Little Joe?" She asked.

He nodded.

She smiled at him. "I'm sure you will be, Little Joe. Thank you."

"May I help you, Miss Cherry?" Adam threw her bags in the wagon and offered her his arm.

"Thank you, Adam." She took it and smiled at him. "I'm so very tired."

"I'm not surprised." Ben looked over at her as he climbed up beside her. "It must have been a long trip but you'll have time to rest up before supper and meet my other son, Hoss. He was helping a mare have her colt and was unable to come with us."

She smiled as he headed the wagon out of town toward the mighty Ponderosa.

EIGHT

She told them more about herself over a dinner of Hop Sing's famous pork chops. "Yes, Little Joe." She replied in answer to his question. "I was raised in the East but I was actually born in the West."

"I remember the place well." Ben smiled. "I bought it from your mother, you know."

"Yes, she told me so much about you and your fine sons." Cherry smiled. "She thought the world of you."

"Did you attend school back East?" Adam inquired longing slightly for his college days in the classrooms of the East.

"Oh, yes." Cherry looked over at him. "I loved it! I remember last year we did our annual Shakespeare play. It was the first time I ever got to play the lead!" Her green eyes sparkled.

"What play was it?" Adam asked sensing a kindred spirit.

"Othello." She smiled. "I played Desdemona."

Adam smiled back and set his fork down to quote "Bid her come hither: go. She says enough; yet she's a simple bawd that cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore, a closet-lock-and-key of villainous secrets: And yet she'll kneel and pray: I have seen her do it."

Cherry's face lit up and placing down her fork she replied, "My lord, what is your will?"

Adam's eyes grew softer. "Pray you, chuck, come hither."

"What is your pleasure?" a smile played along Cherry's lips.

"Let me see you eyes; Look in my face."

Cherry looked. "What horrible fancy's this?"

"Some of your function, mistress; Leave procreants alone, and shut the door; Cough or cry hem, if anybody come; Your mystery, your mystery; nay dispatch!"

"Upon my knees, what doth your speech import? I understand a fury in your words, but not the words."

"Why what art thou?"

"Your wife, my lord; your true and loyal wife."

"Othello Act IV Scene II." Adam applauded. "Well done."

"Thank you." She smiled at him.

"Miss Cherry." Hoss said quietly. "I can't quote Shakespeare or none of that stuff like Adam but I was wonderin', would ya like to see some of the animals we got with me tomorrow?"

"Hoss, I'd love to!" she exclaimed setting her napkin on the table. "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I am very tired from my journey."

The Cartwright men stood up as she walked toward the stairs. She turned back one hand one the banister. "Good-night, gentlemen." See you tomorrow, Hoss."

"Good-night, ma'am." They replied watching her disappear.

"She's a nice gal, Pa." Hoss said as they sat back down.

"Very beautiful!" Joe agreed.

"And very well bred." Adam put in.

Ben Cartwright smiled. She was certainly all of those things.

NINE

Hoss and Cherry walked toward the barn together after breakfast the next day. "We just had a new filly, Miss Cherry." Hoss opened the barn door. "Would you like to see her?"

"Oh, yes." She nodded happily.

Hoss led her over to a stall and pointed to the horse and filly together within. "Oh, Hoss!" She exclaimed her green eyes dancing gaily. "That's a beautiful filly. What's her name?"

Hoss looked down at the brown filly still standing a little uncertainly by her mother. Then he hooked his hands in his belt loops and replied, "Well, we ain't named her yet."

She walked in and put her arms gently around the colt. "She's so soft." She looked up at Hoss.

"Most of 'em are." Hoss walked into the stall with her.

Cherry knelt beside the filly and buried her face in its side. "You should name her." She looked back up at Hoss.

"Why don't you name her, ma'am?" Hoss suggested.

"Me!" Cherry exclaimed.

Hoss nodded.

"I wouldn't know what to name her." She protested.

"Anythin' you like." Hoss smiled.

"All right..." she stopped a moment. "How about Lucky?"

"Lucky?" Hoss asked.

She nodded. "Because I consider myself lucky to be here."

Hoss smiled at her. "Lucky it is, then." And Lucky it was.

Cherry stood up. "Let's go outside, Hoss." She smiled. "Hop Sing said that his hens had chickens."

Hoss laughed and walked out with her. He liked this pretty girl whose eyes and smile he had seen somewhere before. They walked around the house toward the chicken coop, Hoss explaining to her how the decide if they should let an egg become a chicken or breakfast, when she stopped him and pointed to six cans set up on the fence. "What are those for, Hoss?" she inquired curiously.

"Those cans?" he replied. "They're for target practice."

"Target practice?" she asked.

"Sure." He said removing his gun from its holster. "Watch."

BANG! BANG! BANG! And three of the cans fell off the fence. "You want to try it?" he called setting the cans back up on the fence.

"Do you think I can?"

"My Pa always says that you can do anythin' you set your mind to do it ya just take a little time and patience." Hoss smiled at her. "Want to try it?" he asked again.

"Will you help me?"

"Shore I will." Hoss replied. "Here, Miss Cherry, you take my gun..."

"What if I shoot you?"

"No chance of that." He assured her. "You take the gun and I'll hold your hand steady."

He stood behind her and gently placed his hand over hers. "Now pull the trigger just nice and easy like."

She started to pull it, the stopped for a moment. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. The gun went off, the bullet thudded into a tree and she laughed. "That was bad."

"Not to bad, Miss Cherry." Hoss smiled reassuringly. "Try it again."

She was about to attempt it once more when they heard a voice call "Hoss!" and Little Joe stepped out from behind them. "Hoss, Pa wants to see you."

"Oh. I'll be back, Miss Cherry." Hoss reholstered his gun. "The chicks are right over there." He pointed around the house.

"Thank you, Hoss." She smiled as he walked toward the house. Then she turned and headed towards the chicken coop.

"Wait a minute, Cherry." Joe stopped her. "What were you and Hoss doing?"

"Hoss was teaching me how to shoot." She replied.

"Well, I can do that." Joe took her arm. "Shall I?"

She smiled at him and shook herself free. "Give me your gun."

"What?" Joe looked surprised.

"Give me your gun." She repeated.

He removed it from his left-handed holster and handed it to her. She took it in her left hand, smiled at him, took careful aim and fired. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The six cans fell from the fence. She carefully twirled the gun and gave it back to him.

"You...You..." he could not finish.

"That's right." She nodded. "I had a friend back East who taught me how to shoot." The she smiled and walked toward the chicken coop.

Joe shook his head, unable to believe his eyes. Then he turned and walked back into the house.

TEN

"Early one morning..." Adam strummed his guitar and sang softly. Night had descended on the Ponderosa and most of the house had gone to bed. But Adam had the soul of a poet and the moon that was brightly shining was a moon of love and of future stories. He was sitting on the porch just watching the moon so high in the sky when he heard the door close softly and a figure walked down the length of the porch and stood still. And then he made her out. The moonlight hit her making her look like some Greek goddess. She had let her brown hair down and it tumbled freely about her shoulders. She was wearing a red dress and a white lace shawl was wrapped about her shoulders.

"Isn't it awfully late for you to be out, Miss Cherry?" Adam spoke softly.

She jumped slightly as he walked silently towards her from the table where he had been sitting. "Oh, Adam, its you." She smiled. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry." He said gently. "I just thought it was so late and..."

"It might be late," she admitted. "But I am not the only one who stays out at all hours, either."

He looked down at her and laughed softly. "Well, I'm caught, I guess." He smiled. "But as long as we are out here why don't you come sit with me?"

She smiled up at him. "You're very kind, Adam, but it is late and I..."

"You what?" he set his guitar down on the porch step.

"Well..." she stopped and looked out. "I really should go back to bed."

"And not pay attention to this beautiful moon?" he coaxed. "Come on. Tonight is the last night for this moon. It would be a shame to spoil it."

"Adam, I..." she stopped. "I really shouldn't." She finally finished.

"You came out here to see the moon, didn't you?" he pressed.

"Well, yes..." she admitted. "Yes I did."

"Well, what?" Adam took her arm gently.

"Well, all right." She smiled allowing him to lead her over to a chair. "It is a beautiful moon."

He moved his chair closer to her and sat beside her. "It certainly is."

"You know back East we have moons, too." She said softly. "But they all seem so far away. Out here, though, it's so close. I could almost touch it."

"I have." Adam smiled.

"Don't be silly." She looked at him. "You can't touch the moon."

"I dreams I can." He replied putting his arms around her. "And so can you."

"I hope so." she looked back up at the moon. "I think I'll go dream about it now." She attempted to stand up but Adam's arms kept her down.

"Don't go yet, Charissa." He said gently. "Tell me about the East. I was there once you know."

She nodded. "I know. Your father wrote to Mother often. He said that he was sending his eldest son East to school. So you saw the university and perhaps the waterfront." Adam nodded. "But where I lived there was farm land. But always on the horizon one could see the factories and the smoke from it."

"Umm..." he moved closer to her.

"It's not as fine as the West, though." She continued, turning her face away from him. "I love the wide open spaces here, the freedom, the birds." She stopped and smiled. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Those pines have an intoxicating scent."

"So does your perfume." He whispered.

"Adam, I..." she again tried to stand.

"Why fight me?" he asked pressing her tighter. "A poet once called that a lover's moon."

"Then let lovers enjoy it." She said quickly.

"Cherry..."

"Adam, please..." she begged. "I'm only seventeen."

"So?" His face was pressed against her neck.

"I'm so much younger than you."

"No younger than Joe." He replied.

"Do you kiss Joe?" she demanded sharply.

"He's my brother." Adam murmured.

"Adam..." she stopped.

"Hmm."

"Adam, stop it please." She begged.

"Why?"

"Because...because you're...Adam, please." She said quickly. "Please let me go!"

"All right." He released her. "But maybe some other time."

"Adam, I..." she stood up quickly. "Good-night, Adam." She ran into the house closing the door behind her.

Adam watched her for a moment. Then he picked up his guitar and walked into the house.

ELEVEN

Ben Cartwright woke up early. He came downstairs and saw Cherry setting the table for breakfast. She was all alone but she looked up as he came down. "Hello, Mr. Cartwright." She said softly.

"Morning, Miss Charissa." Ben replied gaily.

She turned to him and he saw tears in her eyes. "Charissa, what's wrong?" he walked closer to her.

"Please, please, don't touch me." She begged looking up at him.

"I won't." He assured her, puzzled by her strange attitude towards him. "Now tell me what's wrong?"

"Last night," she started. "I went outside to look at the moon. Your son Adam was out there and he tried to kiss me." Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Mr. Cartwright, I...I think I had better leave. Adam...I don't want Adam to be tempted again."

"You are a very lovely girl." Ben admitted. "And very unselfish." Someone else he knew was the same way that she was. Now if he could only remember who it was! "But you can't leave." He continued. "Not yet. I promised Sarah I would help you."

"But Adam..." she whispered looking back up at him.

"Don't worry about Adam." Ben assured her. "I'm going to have a long talk with him."

"Don't tell his brothers what happened." She pleaded. "I don't want to cause any trouble between them."

Ben patted her shoulder gently. "I won't." Then he turned and walked up the stairs to his son Adam's room.

TWELVE

Adam had just finished dressing when his father knocked on the closed bedroom door. "Come in." Adam called running a brush quickly through his dark brown hair.

Ben entered the room and sat on his son's bed. "Oh, hi, Pa." Adam looked at his father in the mirror. "What brings you to my room so early?"

"An incident from last night." Ben replied.

"Oh." Adam set his brush back on the dresser and turned to face his father. "You saw Cherry this morning."

"She was planning on leaving." Ben looked at his son. "Because of last night."

"Oh." Adam spoke softly. "Did you tell her not to go?"

"I did." Ben replied. "On one condition. You are never to go near her again."

"Never?" Adam swallowed.

"Until she gives you the word." Ben softened slightly. "Besides, son, she is so much younger than you. She's only seventeen, Adam. She is still a child. It would be like marrying your brother Joe."

"But so much nicer." Adam cut in.

"Adam," Ben held up his hand. "Now you listen to me and you listen hard."

Adam closed his mouth, leant against the dresser and folded his arms across his chest.

"That girl was sent here as a trust." Ben started. "Sarah was a friend, a very dear friend. And Charissa is not just any girl she is a special girl, a very special girl. She has a talent for art and music. Sarah often wrote me about her. When she asked me to care for her daughter I decided to give her a classical education. I gave you a college education, remember, because you have a gift for architecture and engineering. She has a similar gift for a more cultured life."

Adam lowered his eyes.

"Charissa is like the daughter I never had." Ben finished. "And I expect you to have more respect for her womanhood. I thought I had raised my sons better. Just what promoted you to try to kiss her?"

"I lost my head." Adam admitted. "But the moon was so bright. It was a full moon, a lover's moon. And she was so lovely, so bewitching." He looked at his father. "I was a fool, I guess."

"You certainly were." Ben agreed. He knew that he no longer needed to lecture his son. Adam understood.

"I'll go and apologize." Adam said, walking quickly towards the door.

"Adam, one more thing." Ben stopped his son. "You're brothers don't know anything about this. It's a secret between the three of us. Leave it that way."

Adam nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Pa."

THIRTEEN

When Adam came downstairs Cherry was still the only one standing there. In her hand she held a glass which she hastily set on the table when he walked towards her. "Adam," she acknowledged him and walked quickly toward the kitchen.

"Cherry, wait," he pleaded. "I want to apologize for last night."

"Apologize?" she asked startled, turning to face him.

He nodded. "I had no right to try to kiss you."

Cherry smiled at him. "Thank you, Adam." She said softly.

"I hope this will not ruin our friendship." He continued.

She looked up at him. Then she smiled a slow smile. "Adam, you are a wonderful man, a very great person." She laughed softly. "As far as I am concerned, Mr. Cartwright, last night has been forgotten."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Cherry."

"Thank you, Adam." And she disappeared into the kitchen.

Ben had been standing on the stairs. He heard her forgive his son and leave, then he walked down the stairs and approached his son.

"She is a nice girl, Pa." Adam said. "She'll make some man a nice wife."

"Not you, son." Ben slapped his son's shoulder gently.

"Don't worry, Pa." Adam smiled at his father. "I realize that now."

FOURTEEN

"Do you like it out here, Miss Charissa?" Ben asked several days later. Cherry was sitting outside on the porch peeling potatoes. Her hands were quick and her eyes sure. But those lovely green eyes were watching something other than the knife. She was watching Adam, Hoss, and Joe in the corral breaking horses.

She turned to face him as he pulled a chair over to the table beside her. "Oh, yes, Mr. Cartwright!" she smiled as he sat beside her. "The West is such a beautiful place."

"Have you thought about calling it home?" he inquired.

She nodded. "Yes...yes, I have. But..."

"Adam." Ben asked looking at his sons.

She lowered her eyes. "Yes." She whispered.

"Charissa," Ben said softly. "I agreed to take care of you. I plan on doing just that."

"That's very sweet of you, Mr. Cartwright." She smiled up at him. "But I think...maybe I should find a room somewhere else."

"no." He shook his head. "You'll stay right here."

"But..." she protested.

Ben gazed fondly at his sons, smiled and turned back to Charissa. "I have three very wonderful sons. Oh, they get out of line sometimes but they are good boys. All my life, though, I wanted a daughter. She would balance things out." Cherry dropped her knife in the bowl on her lap and turned to face him. Her face was pale, her eyes wide, and her breath coming in short gasps. "I kept hoping that I would find another woman to give me a daughter. But I never did. Then I hoped that maybe one of my sons would marry and give me a granddaughter. But so far that has not worked out. Then Sarah's letter came and you entered our life."

"And caused nothing but trouble." She sighed.

"That's not true." He protested. Then he smiled. "You are the daughter I never had. I'll keep my eyes on the boys. Just stay and fulfill my greatest wish. Will you at least give it a try, please?"

She smiled at him. "Yes." She replied. "Yes, Mr. Cartwright, I will." Then she grasped her bowl and stood up quickly. "I'll see you at supper, Mr. Cartwright." She stopped at the edge of the porch and looked back. "You're sons ride very well. Especially Little Joe." Then she disappeared toward the door and into the house.

Ben watched his sons for a moment and agreed. Then he turned suddenly toward the door. They were all goo. Adam and Joe, however, were the best. But...well, why would she select Joe over Adam. Then Ben smiled. After what Adam had attempted several nights before no wonder she would pick his brother as the better rider.

FIFTEEN

"Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby.

When you wake, you'll have cake,

And all the pretty little horses.

Black and bay, dapple and grey,

Coach and six little horses,

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby,

When you wake, you'll have cake,

And all the pretty little horses.

Way down yonder, down in the meadow,

There's a poor wee little lamby.

The bees and the butterflies pickin' at its eyes,

The poor wee thing cried for her mammy." Charissa and Joe sang gaily as they rode along the Ponderosa. She had wanted to see the ranch and Joe offered to show her around.

"You have a very beautiful voice, Cherry." Joe and Cochise bounced along beside the girl and her milky white horse.

"Thank you, Little Joe." She smiled at him. "Mama insisted that I take voice lessons."

"You studied voice?" Joe asked surprised. He had heard of doing that, of course, but he had never been so close to anyone who had.

She nodded. "The three 'R's. Art and music."

"Gosh!" Joe exclaimed. "And you liked it?" Joe had always hated school.

She smiled. "I loved it!"

"And I had a hard enough time with the three R's." Joe looked over at her. "I never took art or music."

"You should have, Joe." She admonished gently. "You have the soul for it."

"What?"

"Art." She looked at him.

"That's Adam's job." Joe replied. "He's better than me at it."

She smiled. "Look out there." She stopped her horse at the top of the hill and pointed down. Beneath them was the beautiful Lake Tahoe with its banks of pine trees. "That is a beautiful place."

Joe agreed. "I could sit here and look at it forever."

"Let's stop for a minute, Joe." She smiled and held out her hand, as he was about to continue. "I just want to stay here and look and look." She laughed softly. "I want to look my heart out."

"Look away." Joe said siting quietly for several moments.

"It's such a beautiful place, Little Joe." She finally spoke. "I've never seen such a lovely place before."

Joe jumped down off his horse. "Come with me, Cherry." He invited. "I'll show you the lovelies bunch of flowers you ever did see."

"Well, all right, Joe." She smiled. "But promise me that we'll come back here before we return."

He held out his hand to her. She took it with a smile and jumped down beside him. "It's a promise, Miss Cherry." Joe smiled. "The flowers are this way. My arm, ma'am."

"Thank you, sir." She took his arm carefully, gently. "Joe, what kind of flowers are they?"

"Roses, daises, lilies." He smiled at her. "You name it."

"In the West?" She looked over at him surprised.

"A very fertile piece of the West." He smiled and walked a little faster.

She had to almost run to keep up with her friend. "Slow down a little, Joe." She begged. "I'm not used to this rough country and some of these stones hurt my feet."

He smiled down at her. "All right, Cherry." He slowed his walk to a pace that she could finally handle. Little Joe pointed to a green pasture. No cattle had touched the land and it was still green and beautiful. "A Paradise." Cherry described it. There were flowers growing loose and wild. She dropped her arm from Joe's and stared in wonder.

"Oh...Joe...oh it's so lovely." She just looked around standing in the middle of the field, turning around and around so that she could see the field from all angles. Then she quickly sat in the grass and laughed. "It's so soft!"

Joe smiled and sat in the grass beside her. He pulled up a handful of grass and let it sift through his fingers. "It is soft." He agreed. "Very soft."

"Don't pull it up, Joe." She placed her hand over his. "Let it lay."

He looked at her. "You love it here. Don't you?"

She nodded. "Very much."

"I do, too." He leant back in the grass and tipped his hat over his eyes.

They both remained silent for a long time. She sat in the grass looking out at the lake in the distance. Her young male companion lay in the grass, his hat shading his face, his hands crossed on his chest, sound asleep. He had come many times to this spot and it was always the same. But for her it held new charm, new beauty.

The sun started to go down and still Charissa sat, looking at the sun sink in the sky bathing the landscape in its golden and orange rays, and still Joe slept. Finally, though, she shivered slightly and bent over her companion. "Joe," she whispered. "Little Joe, wake up."

He stirred. "Hmmm?"

"The sun has gone down, Joe." She started to stand up. "We really should go back. Your father will start worrying about us."

Joe removed his hat from his face and sat straight up. "Dear me!" he looked around. "It is late."

She nodded. "Come on, Joe." She stood up and held out her hand to him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Wait, Cherry," Joe said softly. "Just one moment." He had been dreaming about her. This lovely girl from the East who was so much like him. He had seen her shoot-with her left hand, mind you- like him, fast and sure. She could ride almost as well as him and with a little practice she could get better. She was like Adam, too. Cultured and refined in her tastes for literature, art, and music. Her heart was a big as Hoss' for she loved the gentler creatures of earth, the animals, the flowers, and she hated to see anyone in pain. As for her judgement- why she was almost as wonderful as Pa. Joe was willing to bet that she never made a wrong decision in her life. And she was beautiful, so very beautiful, standing there the setting sun as a backdrop behind her. If Little Joe had been a painter he would have painted her picture and called her a Greek Goddess. Sound familiar? Oh, yes, Joe was just as infatuated as Adam. Who knows maybe he will have more luck.

"Joe, it's very late." She replied.

"I...I just want to talk to you." He answered.

She turned her face away from him. "Well, go ahead."

"Don't you want to sit down again?" Joe asked.

"No." Was her response. "You talk to me this way."

He stood up. "All right. I will."

"Joe, I...it's awfully late." She started to step away.

"Cherry," he smiled. "Cherry, you're a very lovely girl. Did anyone ever tell you that?"

"Yes." She answered. "Yes. Many people have." And she started to worry. Ben Carlyle, a boy back East had told her the same thing, just before he tried to kiss her. She had avoided him because she promised Sarah only the man she married would ever get her first kiss. And she had kept her promise. "Now let's go, Joe."

"No wait." He put his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"Joe, please..." she begged feeling as though this was a repeat performance of another night on another part of the Ponderosa.

"Just one kiss." He teased. "One little kiss and I'll take you home."

"Take me home now, Joe." She started to struggle.

"One kiss." He shook his head.

"Joe, I'm warning you." Her tone suddenly grew sharp.

"What?" he asked bending his face closer.

"Joe," she said quickly. "Come one inch closer and I'll..."

"You'll what?" he continued coming still closer.

"Joe, I'm warning you!" her eyes flashed.

"Warn away, Cherry." He smiled, bending in for the desired kiss.

She drew back her arm and slapped his face with her open hand, slapped it as hard as she could. Then as he dropped his arms from her in shock she ran quickly away from him and dashed toward her horse. She flew over the stones that had hurt her feet earlier and vaulted into her saddle.

Behind her Joe shouted "Cherry! Cherry, what did I do? Cherry come back here!"

But then she shouted to her horse and Joe saw her disappear into the fast creeping shadows. He stood for a moment in thought. What HAD he done? She was a very beautiful woman and after all what's a little kiss between a girl and a boy near the banks of a lake n the moonlight. Then he too vaulted into his saddle and galloped after her towards the house.

SIXTEEN

Bed had seen Cherry dash into the yard. He saw her jump off her horse and dash into the house. Then he caught her as she headed toward the stairs.

"Charissa, Charissa." He held her steady. "What's wrong? What happened? Where have you been?"

"You promised to keep your eyes on your sons." She was breathless. Her eyes flashed an angry fire and her bright cheeks were even redder. "Joe just tried to kiss me."

Ben sighed. What was he going to do about those sons of his? He probably should not have let Joe take her riding alone but he had not seen anything wrong with it at the time. Then he heard his son's horse pull up outside and Joe rushed into the house. "Cherry!" Joe ran towards her. "Cherry, what did I do?"

Cherry looked up at Ben. "Please, Mr. Cartwright..." she implored.

Ben put his arm protectively around her as Joe reached his hand out to her. "Joe!" Ben said quickly. "Joe! Tell me exactly what happened that brought Charissa home in such a hurry."

Joe looked at his father. "I tried to kiss her and she fled from me."

"And?" Ben looked from his son to Charissa.

"She slapped me." Joe rubbed his sore cheek. It would be tender for a long time to come and he was sure a bruise was appearing.

Ben burst out laughing.

"Pa!" Joe exclaimed.

"Mr. Cartwright!" Charissa cried.

"I'm sorry, Charissa." He gave her a tight fatherly squeeze. "As for you, young man, you deserved that slap."

"Pa, I..." Joe stopped.

"Well?" Ben asked.

"She slapped me pretty hard." Joe muttered.

"I wish I could have seen it." Ben chuckled.

"Mr. Cartwright, I..." Charissa stopped.

"Joe, go on out of here right now." Ben ordered. "I want to speak to Charissa alone."

"Pa..." Joe demanded.

"Joseph!" Ben raised his voice slightly in a tone that Joe understood.

"All right, Pa, all right." Joe backed toward the door and went out closing it behind him.

Then Ben turned to Cherry and softly said, "I realize Joe tried to take advantage of you. And most girls let him. Why didn't you?"

Her eyes flashed a fire that Ben had seen before. "I had my reasons." She snapped quickly.

"Look," Ben said quietly. "I'm not telling you that you should. I just want to know why you slapped him so hard."

"He tried to kiss me!" she exclaimed.

"Just like Adam did?"

She nodded. "But I couldn't hurt Adam. He is too gentle for that."

"Don't you like my sons?" Ben inquired curiously. They were good looking men after all.

"Very much." She nodded.

"Then why..."

"Mr. Cartwright, you'll..." she shook her head. "My time I spent with you was very happy and I hoped to live here forever. But now..."

"Now what?" Ben Cartwright pressed determined to get to the bottom of the affair.

"I either have to leave or..."

"Or what?"

"Tell you everything."

"What is everything?" Ben demanded.

"My secret." She replied. "The secret that will change your lives forever."

"What is it?" Ben asked.

"Do you really want to know?"

He nodded.

Cherry smiled. "My name is not Charissa Newman."

Ben started. "What is it? And what happened to Sarah's daughter?"

"Sarah never had a daughter." Charissa responded. "She...well...she sort of adopted me."

"Please," Ben asked settling in his chair. "Start from the beginning."

She sighed. "My full name is Charissa Jennifer Marie Cartwright."

"What?" Ben leaped up.

"Little Joe," she continued. "Is my brother."

"Marie had another child?" Ben asked remembering that his wife had been married before.

"Marie had twins." Charissa replied. "Remember the night that Little Joe was born. No doctor could be there so Sarah Newman acted as midwife. Two children were born that night, a girl and a boy. Little Joe was your son. I was your daughter."

"But..."

"Sarah had just lost her husband and she was childless. Her greatest desire was to have a daughter. So when Marie passed out after giving birth, never knowing she had twins, Sarah took me. You already had two sons and now at least you would have a third. She had no one."

"I have noticed that you are a lot like Little Joe." Ben admitted. "But how do you know all this?" Now he realized where he had seen the fire, the green eyes, and the smile before.

"Sarah told me." Charissa replied. "She also gave me a letter to give to you when the time was right. I think the time is now." A pocketbook lay on Ben's desk, her pocketbook that she had left there that morning and now she picked it up and took out a letter. "Here you are, Mr. Cartwright."

Ben broke the seal on the envelope, took the letter out and read its contents.

" 'Dear Ben,

'You are reading this letter because Charissa has told you what happened but she could not tell you the entire story. Let me tell it.

'Remember the night Marie had Little Joe? I refused to let you in because of the size of the room. The doctor could not come so we were alone. Marie had a difficult time of it but she finally got Little Joe out. He cried, she smiled and asked to hold her baby. It was then that I realized that she was carrying twins.

'Marie thought it was afterbirth and fell asleep soon afterwards. In fact it was a little girl, a daughter. I saw her holding Joe and became jealous...so jealous. She had a ready-made family and now she had twins! I had no one. So I wrapped your daughter in a blanket and hid her among my things. Then I brought Joe down to you. You were so happy with Joe that I was sure you would not mind not having a daughter.

'I left the house that night with your daughter wrapped in my blanket. I stayed in my home for awhile and finally came out again claiming that I had had a daughter. I even had a birth certificate. Birth certificate that's a laugh. A visiting doctor signed that paper for me. But he knew as well as I, that Charissa was not a newborn.

'I took her back East with me and raised her as I knew you would. She has had the best education in both the three R's as well as art and music. She is a beautiful, sweet, gentle girl, Ben. But you know that by now.

'I'm sorry I took your baby, Ben. But I'm giving you back a woman. Please forgive me. I tried to be a good mother to her and I pray that I have succeeded. Take good care of her, Ben. She is your daughter.

'Farewell Forever,

'Sarah Newman.'"

Ben folded the letter and replaced it in its envelope. "So Marie had a daughter." He murmured. "I have a daughter."

She looked at him her big green eyes smiling softly. "Now do you see why I could not kiss Adam or Little Joe?"

Ben nodded. "I think we ought to explain it to them, though."

She turned toward the door. "I'll call them."

"Charissa." He said softly.

She looked back at him. He opened his arms to her and she ran into them. "Welcome home, Charissa." He kissed the top of her head.

Her eyes filled with happy tears. "Thank you, Pa." She whispered. "it's good to be home."

SEVENTEEN

Joe's cheek still smarted from where Charissa had slapped him. He sat on the settee without looking at the girl, who stood in front of the fireplace with his father. Adam stood next to Joe wondering why she had not slapped him. Hoss st in a chair listening to their father.

"I have an announcement to make." Ben said. "It concerns Charissa and Joe."

Joe looked at his father. "I am not connected with Charissa." He answered coolly.

"Joe, shut up." Adam hissed sensing an importance in Ben's manner.

Ben smiled. "Joe," he turned to his youngest son. "How old are you?"

Joe looked surprised. "You know that, Pa."

"Just tell us anyway."

Joe shrugged. "Seventeen."

Ben turned to Charissa. "And how old are you?"

"Seventeen." She answered.

"Kind of young to be thinking of marriage." Adam whispered to Joe.

Joe glared at his brother. "Pa..."

"Earlier this evening, Joe," Ben continued "you tried to kiss Charissa."

"She refused to kiss me!" Joe shot her an angry look.

"I had every right to!" she shot him a look back.

Ben held up his hand. "Do you want to tell us why you refused to kiss Joe?"

"And why she refused to kiss me?" Adam put in quickly.

"You!" Joe turned to Adam.

Adam nodded. "I tried the moonlight kiss, too."

Joe looked back at Charissa. "Well, why did you refuse to kiss Adam and me?"

She smiled at them. "A girl cannot kiss her brothers."

"Her what?" Adam exclaimed. Joe leaped to his feet his eyes wide and Hoss too looked excited.

Ben looked at his sons. "Seventeen years ago." He began. "My wife had a son."

"That'd be you." Adam poked Joe.

"She also had a daughter."

Joe had a blank look on his face. "You mean Cherry and I are..." he swallowed.

"Twins." She finished. "Yes we are twins."

"I...I don't believe it." Joe shook his head.

"You better believe it." Ben smiled. "I always thought a daughter might balance things out around here. I'm glad Marie had a daughter. Every mother wants one."

"Remember the night she had Joe?" Adam asked his father. "We were saying that if Marie had a girl you would name her Jennifer Marie."

"My full name is Charissa Jennifer Marie Cartwright." She cut in.

"And I said I wanted a sister." Adam smiled at the memory. "I wanted to see her wearing pretty dresses. I wanted to take her into church with me and show her off."

Ben nodded. "I remember."

"I still want that." Adam said approaching Cherry. He took her hand in his and kissed her forehead. "Welcome to the family, Cherry." She whispered.

"Oh, Adam. Thank you." She whispered.

Hoss walked over and took her other hand. "Hello, little sister." He smiled.

"Hello, Hoss." She smiled up at him.

Joe stood silently for a moment. Then he pushed his way past his two brothers. "Just a second, older brothers." He smiled at her. "This is my twin."

"Oh, Joe." She hugged him tightly.

"I like this much better." Joe admitted.

Ben put his arms around his twins. He had a daughter and three fine sons. Ben Cartwright's happiness was complete.

THE END


End file.
